"But there's another guy I played against, if the 3-point shot was in, he would probably have averaged about 50 points a game," Archibald told NBA.com . "And that's Jerry West. He reminds me of a combo guy like that."

Archibald, a playground star in New York during the 1960s, became a superstar in the '70s. He was the first (and only) player to lead the NBA in both scoring and assists in the same season when he averaged 34 points and 11.4 assists per game in 1972-73. "Tiny" thinks Curry's ball-handling has been a big part of his evolution into a dominant force.

"We're not giving him enough credit for his ball-handling prowess," Archibald said. "He came into the league, he was a good shooter and he became a great shooter. But now he's going to the basket on guys. He's got that long-range shot but he's got a mid-range shot too. He can pull up on you. And then he's got the left hand to finish off, when you're thinking he's coming back right. 'You stay on that right-hand side, I'm laying the ball up left-handed.'

"All of that is what makes him the most dangerous guy in the league. I love watching him play."

Curry is playing his way toward a second straight league MVP, and his Warriors (68-7) are on pace for a record season. Archibald says things would have been tougher for Curry had he come along in his era - but he's not too keen on comparing.

"Oh, he'd have got a whipping," Archibald said. "But I tell people, you can't put him back (in the 1970s) and you can't move ('70s stars) up. Different eras of basketball. Certain rules change the game. The rules now is, they want the game to move. And it's not just to his benefit, it's to everybody's benefit."